Tucson’s daytime high of 68° Tuesday is noteworthy on a couple of levels. It marks the 2nd coolest May afternoon in the last 30 years, last occurring on May 21st, 2009. Between Friday’s daytime high of 104° and yesterday, the temperature dropped an incredible 36°. This is the largest 4 day temperature drop during the month of May.

DYK: Largest 4 day drop in daily May high temperatures in Tucson on record is 34° from 2008 (103° on the 19th falling to 69° on 23rd).

An additional 1-3″ snow is possible above 7,000 feet through early Wednesday. If the forecast comes to fruition, this would be the largest May snowstorm in 22 years. The late snowpack won’t stick around long, however. Temperatures return to the upper 40s tomorrow in Summerhaven.

Clouds & winds increase this afternoon. Expect west-southwest winds around 15-25 MPH today as highs peak in the upper 60s. Drivers on I-10 may encounter blowing dust east of Willcox, which potentially reduces visibility to less than a mile at times.

Late afternoon features a 20% chance of showers for Metro Tucson, courtesy of a cold front moving in from the Pacific Ocean. Rain chances increase to 60% tonight through the first half of tomorrow. Snow levels bottom out around 6,000 feet, with 5-15″ snow possible above 7,000 feet. For that reason, a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Mt. Lemmon, Mt. Graham & the White Mountains from this evening through Tuesday evening.

Valley rainfall totals along & north of an Ajo-Tucson-Safford line may reach 0.30″ in spots. Areas along the border should see less rain/mountain snowfall.

Highs reach the mid 60s tomorrow, but rebound to the 70s the rest of the work week. More sunshine prevails by Wednesday.

Daytime highs peak in the upper 70s to low 80s this afternoon. High pressure departing to the east supplies temperatures roughly 10° above average for late February. Expect westerly winds around 10-15 MPH today.

The first of two cold fronts sweeps across Arizona tomorrow, dropping temperatures 10-15° off today’s levels. Gusty winds up to 20 MPH may develop Thursday afternoon east of Tucson. After highs reach the upper 60s tomorrow, lows bottom out in the upper 30s.

Highs return to the 70s this weekend, before a second cold front enters the state. This feature supplies gusty winds as soon as Sunday, followed by a slight shower chance. Tucson’s rain chances range from 10% Monday to 30% on Tuesday. Exact rain/mountain snow totals remain unclear this far out.

High pressure parked over the state drives daytime temperatures roughly 10° above normal, according to 4WARN Meteorologist Jeff Beamish. Metro Tucson peaks in the upper 70s to low 80s the next few days with abundant sunshine. Nighttime lows drop to the upper 40s to low 50s, which is a touch mild for late February standards.

The first of two cold fronts kicks through the state Thursday, knocking temperatures back to reality. Daytime highs for the end of the week reach the upper 60s to low 70s.

Cold front #2 takes aim at Arizona early next week. Gusty winds develop Sunday, followed by a slight shower chance Monday. Rain chances may continue into next Tuesday, but the exact timing remains unclear at the moment.

A significant pattern shift is in its formative stages in the Pacific Ocean.

As Southern Arizona awaits this weekend’s Winter storm, highs today run 4-6° above average. Metro Tucson tops out in the low 70s this afternoon. Winds today will be much lighter than yesterday, peaking around 5-10 MPH out of the west.

Friday looks to be the transition day, as cloud cover and winds start to increase. There is a slight shower chance tomorrow afternoon and evening. The cold front enters the state Saturday, elevating southerly winds in the 20-40 MPH range.

Primetime for valley rain & snow above 6,000 feet looks to be Saturday evening through the first half of Sunday. A few rumbles of thunder can’t be ruled out as well. Valley floors could pick up 0.40-0.80″ rainfall, while Mount Lemmon may be in line for 10-20″ snow.

Drier weather prevails early next week, courtesy of high pressure parking over the state. Low to mid 70s return for daytime highs Tuesday and Wednesday.

Often Imitated. None More Accurate.

Jeff’s Social Media

ABOUT JEFF

Jeff Beamish is an award-winning meteorologist at KVOA. You can watch his weekday weather forecasts on Tucson Today & News 4 Tucson at Noon. He has also contributed his weather expertise to The Weather Channel, Washington Post, New York Times, AM 1030 KVOI and the Arizona Daily Star.
While attending St. Cloud State University, Jeff was awarded 3rd place in the “National Student TV Meteorologist” category by the Broadcast Education Association.

When he's not forecasting, Jeff loves to spend time with his wife and daughter. Chances are you'll find the three of them at an Arizona Wildcats game.